


A Heart Befuddled

by SuperWhoShipper



Category: Newsies (1992)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-21
Updated: 2013-02-21
Packaged: 2017-11-30 00:44:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/693416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperWhoShipper/pseuds/SuperWhoShipper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A pretty skirt gives Romeo a dollar</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Whole Dollar

It was a rather dull day. Chilly for March, but warm enough that Romeo wasn't freezing himself. He had a few papers left, but he kept getting distracted by the skirts that were passing him by. Girls with long curls under bonnets and hands in pristine white gloves. Something about those hands.. about the slenderness of the fingers, the grace of each movement from a twitching pinkie, to a gentle wave. He smiled when cotton gloves brushed callossed skin as coins and papes exchanged hands. He only had 3 papes left. Three left, and then he could go get dinner at Tibby's, and maybe if he got an extra couple cents, he could even get some cake from the bakery down the street from the Lodging House. 

"Excuse me, sir," a soft voice called from behind him. "I would like a paper."

Romeo smiled and turned, gasping at the skirt.. no, the girl in front of him. She had golden ringlets that fell from beneath a soft brown hat, her nose dusted with light-colored freckles, her lips a gentle pink and her eyes.. oh those eyes were the color of the sea at midnight, t he sun glinting in them light the light of the moon over the horizon. For a moment, Romeo was speechless, his mouth agape. The girl's head tilted, ocean-eyes blinking slowly. 

"Oh! Oh, Pape, right. Uh, that's just a penny, then," he said, handing her the paper. 

"I'm sorry, this is all I have," she said, holding out a single dollar bill. 

Romeo blinked slowly. "M-Ma'am.. I ain't got change for that," he said softly.

The girl smiled. "Keep it all. You need it more than I do," she said.

"I couldn't do that! That's an awful lot of money, ma'am," he said, looking up at her.

"Keep it," She said, gently taking his hand, pressing the bill into it. SHe closed his fingers around the bill and smiled, cotton sliding on skin. 

Romeo let out a shaky breath, and opened his mouth to protest. She gave a subtle shake of her head. "Thank you for the paper," she said, voice melodic. He blushed deep, and his eyes followed her as she walked away. She stood straight, her footsteps carrying her forward gracefully. Romeo could hear the clicking off her boots on the sidewalk. He gave the dollar a tight squeeze. A whole dollar.. From a total stranger. A gorgeous stranger. 


	2. Not Another Skirt

Romeo gave up for the day after the girl left him. With the dollar still clutched in his hand, he didn't see the point in selling his remaining two papes. What as five cents compared to 100? He had a goody smile on his face as he headed down the street, his gaze downcast as he imagined the girl. Her golden hair, her white gloves and slender fingers. Her pale skin and freckles. He bypassed Tibby's, slipped past the bakery, and headed up the stairs of the Lodging House. Many eyes turned in his direction. Mush nudged Blink and nodded at Romeo. He had a new spring to his step, he looked positively giddy.

"What's got you all happy?" Blink called, now all eyes turning towards Romeo.

"He's probably found hisself a new skirt," Skittery said, causing a few chuckles.

"Not just another skirt! Oh, lordy guys she was gorgeous.." he said, falling back on his bunk.

"She probably gave him a dime and called 'im cute," Boots teased. 

"She gave me a whole dollar!" Romeo said, sitting up, pulling out the crumpled bill. 

There were several gasps, and suddenly everyone was crowding him to see the dollar- such a rarity among Newsboys. 

"What'd she look like, Romeo?" Mush asked, everyone else now curious about the girl who could simply spare a dollar for a pape. 

"She had these beautiful gold curls, and her eyes, jeeze, they looked like the water at midnight and her face was like the moon an-and she had these cute little freckles and her nose crinkled when she smiled at me and she had the cutest little dimple in her chin! And her skin looked mighty soft," he gushed, falling back against his pillows.

"Wow, Romeo. It really looks like you're inta this chick," Henry said, sitting on his own bunk. 

"I could die happy if'n I only saw her one more time," Romeo said with a contented sigh. 

The boys chuckled, but left the poor guy to his sappy poetry. This was just like Romeo. He had a new girl every week. Give him a few days selling papes, and he'd find another one. 

* * *

 

Romeo was back on the corner, selling his papes as usual. today had been rather slow, but he didn't mind much. He still had a whole dollar. He had it stuck in his pocket, half out of mistrust of the other boys of the Lodging House, and half hoping it would give him the good luck to see the golden haired girl again. It was getting late, he still had a dozen papes left out of his usual 50, when a finger tapped his shoulder. 

"Excuse me, I'd like a paper please." 

The same soft voice. The same gentle trill. The same musical lilting. 

Romeo spun around so fast, the golden haired girl jumped and gasped in surprise.

"Oh! Gosh, I'm so sorry. Are you alright?" he said, his eyes apologetic as he looked up at her. 

She nodded a little, ringlets bouncing beneath her cap. "I'm alright," she said, nervously fiddling with a coin in her hand.

He swallowed, awe-struck for a moment at her beauty before he shook his head slightly and handed her a paper. "Here, on me. For startlin' ya, and for the dollar," he said with a smile. 

She shook her head and smiled. "No, I couldn't," she said, holding out a quarter for him. Romeo swallowed hard. IT was tempting, but no.. he couldn't. He shook his head. 

"Keep it, please," he said, smiling up at her.

"I couldn't," she insisted, handing him the coin with a soft expression on her face, a gentle smile tugging up the corners of her pink lips. 

"Keep the quarter. Maybe.. maybe instead I could take ya.. take ya to dinner?" Romeo asked softly, unused to the shyness she brought out in him

"Oh.. But I have to be getting home.." she said, glancing over her shoulder. 

"Tomorrow then!" He said, looking up at her. 

When she saw the hope on his face, she couldn't help but smile and nod. "Tomorrow, then," she said with a smile. "Shall I meet you here?" she asked.

He nodded a little, smiling up at her. "Yeah. Yeah, sure," he stammered, cursing his inability to speak right.

"I will see you then," She said with a nod, turning to walk away from him. 

"Wait! I don't even know your name," he said, looking after her.

She paused and looked over her shoulder. "It's Tillie,' she said with a smile. "And yours?"

  
She watched a a grin spread across his lips. "I'm Romeo.." 

"See you tomorrow then, Romeo,' she said, before walking slowly down the street. 

Romeo watched until she turned a corner, then let out a whoop before he realized, he was still holding her quarter. 

 

 

 

 

 


	3. Tibby's and Tillie.

Romeo arrived bright and early the next day. He only had a dozen or so papes. He wanted to take the day off, with his  dollar and his brand new quarter he could certainly afford to, but still, money is money and if he could make some, he'd try his best to make it. He'd just sold his last pape when he saw Tillie headed down the street in his direction. She wore a new, light violet cap over her golden hair, and her dress matched the color. It was a simple thing, really. It went all the way down to the ground, hanging just enough above to keep it from getting dirty. The bodice was tight around her torso, cinched tight like the corset she no doubt wore beneath it. The neckline hung just enough to show her collarbone, and the heart-pendant she wore nestled in the slight indentation between the bones. The sleeves hung just past her shoulders, trimmed with lace, and she wore pale lavender gloves that went up past her elbows. And, golly, did she look gorgeous. Romeo watched her approach, watched the rose rise to her cheeks as she noticed his agape expression. He recovered just as she arrived.

"Wow, Miss Tillie, you look absolutely beautiful,' he said softly.

Tillie smiled and blushed, glancing down before looking up at him. "Thank you, Romeo. You're rather handsome yourself," she said with a soft smile.

"Naw.." he said shyly, glancing down at himself. He'd wore something semi-nice, and that just meant trousers that weren't ripped and a shirt he'd borrowed from Jack that was actually clean. His hair was messy, though, his hat askew on his head. He adjusted it, smoothing back a few locks of his dark hair. He was a mess, really. Not near as handsome as her. But, before she could refute he offered her his arm. "Shall we go then? Sorry I can't take ya to some really big fancy place, but I know a nice little dive that's got good food.." he said.

"That sounds perfect," Tillie replied, taking his arm with hers and smiling as they walked down the street. They passed Blink and Mush on the way, but the two didn't say anything, just gaped at the girl Romeo had attached to his arm. They'd tease him, if it wasn't for the contented smile on her lips that showed, yes, she really did want to be there with him. 

The pair of them headed to Tibby's, Romeo meekly holding the door open for her as she walked in and looked around. She looked so rich, he felt sort of shy bringing her to such  a place. Not that he was much ashamed of Tibby's, but Tillie seemed like a classy girl used to top of the line steak, not.. philly cheese steak and greasy french fries. 

"I like it. It's got character," she said as the pair sat down. 

"Wazzat mean?" Romeo asked, quirking a brow. 

Tillie giggled. "It means.. well, I'm not sure. My father says that when we go to other people's homes and he thinks they're weird. But I guess a better word is quirky," she said with a smile.

"I don't know what that means anymore than character," he said.

She laughed and smiled. 'It's like.. charmingly odd," she said.

Romeo grinned. "Would you say I'm quirky then?" he asked. 

Tillie giggled and nodded. "I would say you are indeed, very quirky, Romeo," she said with a smile.


End file.
